"THERE passed a weary time. Each throat The ancient Ma

Was parched, and glazed each eye.

A weary time! a weary time!

How glazed each weary eye,
When looking westward, I beheld
A something in the sky.

riner beholdeth a sign in the element afar off.

At its nearer approach, it seemeth him to be a ship; and at a

dear ransom he

from the bonds

"At first it seemed a little speck,
And then it seemed a mist;

It moved and moved, and took at last
A certain shape, I wist.

"A speck, a mist, a shape, I wist!
And still it neared and neared:
As if it dodged a water-sprite,
It plunged and tacked and veered.

"With throats unslaked, with black lips baked, We could nor laugh nor wail;

Through utter drought all dumb we stood!

freeth his speech I bit my arm, I sucked the blood, And cried, A sail! a sail!

of thirst.

A flash of joy;

And horror fol

lows.

For can it

be a ship that

comes onward without wind or tide?

"With throats unslaked, with black lips baked Agape they heard me call:

Gramercy! they for joy did grin,

And all at once their breath drew in,
As they were drinking all.

"See! see! (I cried) she tacks no more!
Hither to work us weal;

Without a breeze, without a tide,

She steadies with upright keel!

"The western wave was all a-flame,

The day was well-nigh done!